Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that develops from practical considerations and alludes to humans’ particular use of shared language to create common symbols and meanings, for use in both intraand interpersonal communication.
It is particularly important in microsociology and social psychology. It is derived from the American philosophy of pragmatism and particularly from the work of George Herbert Mead, as a pragmatic method to interpret social interactions.
According to Mead, symbolic interactionism is “The ongoing use of language and gestures in anticipation of how the other will react; a conversation”. Symbolic interactionism is “a framework for building theory that sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals”. In other words, it is a frame of reference to better understand how individuals interact with one another to create symbolic worlds, and in return, how these worlds shape individual behaviors. It is a framework that helps understand how society is preserved and created through repeated interactions between individuals. The interpretation process that occurs between interactions helps create and recreate meaning. It is the shared understanding and interpretations of meaning that affect the interaction between individuals. Individuals act on the premise of a shared understanding of meaning within their social context. Thus, interaction and behavior are framed through the shared meaning that objects and concepts have attached to them. Symbolic Interactionism refers to both verbal and nonverbal communication. From this view, people live in both natural and symbolic environments.
Symbolic interactionism is a sociological theory that views society as a product of everyday social interactions, which are based on the use of shared symbols like language and gestures to create meaning. It suggests that individuals act based on the meanings they assign to objects, people, and situations, and these meanings are developed and modified through social interaction and reflection. Key aspects include the creation of self-concept through how individuals perceive others perceive them, and the idea that social reality is a continuously negotiated and created process.
Core principles
- Meaning: Individuals act toward things based on the meaning they have for them. For example, a person might avoid a certain neighborhood because they’ve assigned it a meaning of “dangerous” through their social interactions.
- Language: Shared symbols, like words, gestures, and objects, allow for communication and the construction of shared meanings. A wedding ring, for instance, is a symbol that represents marriage, and its meaning is learned through social interaction.
- Thinking: The meaning of a symbol is not fixed and can change through an individual’s interpretation and in different social contexts. The same gesture, like a handshake, can have different meanings depending on the people involved and the culture.
Key concepts
- Self-concept: A person’s sense of self is not a fixed entity but is shaped by how they believe others perceive them. This is often referred to as the “looking-glass self”.
- Role-taking: The ability to understand another person’s perspective by imagining oneself in their role is a crucial mechanism for social interaction. This is learned from a young age through activities like playing house.
- Social reality: Social reality is not static but is constantly being negotiated and recreated through everyday interactions.
Examples
- Family: Families create shared meanings through rituals like family meals or holidays. The meaning of a marriage and family relationship is based on the negotiated meanings of the individuals within it.
- Education: A teacher’s expectations can influence a student’s performance. If a teacher expects a student to perform poorly, they may provide less encouragement, which can lead the student to underperform, not because of lack of ability, but because of the meaning they’ve learned from the teacher’s behavior.
- Social media: The likes, comments, and shares on social media are symbols that provide validation, feedback, and social constructs that shape our online personas.
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[1] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/symbolic-interactionism
[4] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303056565_Symbolic_Interactionism
[10] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/sociology/sociology-education-theory-symbolic-interactionism
[11] https://atlasti.com/research-hub/symbolic-interactionism-theory
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